This is the second in a series of three hacks that I believe are necessary for a strong pitch opening. Once you are across my first hack and are confident in forming a strong human connection with your investors then the next step is to ensure you establish flow.
Flow is about the narrative cadence of your pitch. You should move seamlessly between topics with the transitions being effortless and unnoticeable.
A lack of flow in your pitch risks losing the attention of your audience. You want to keep them engaged and solely focused on your pitch for the full 20 minutes.
Founders are generally the most comfortable when speaking about their solutions and product features. This section usually starts around minutes 3-5 of your pitch. The purpose of focusing on flow in your opening is to get you to this comfort zone, consistently and with the same rhythm every time.
Here are some tips to start the flow of your pitch off right.
Always start the same.
Having a good standard opening that works for you every time will make you feel calmer, more confident, and relaxed and therefore giving off a good first impression.
Don’t cram in too much.
You don’t need to cover your whole pitch in the first few minutes. When writing your opening focus on the points you need to make and set a calm but energetic and passionate tone for the rest of your pitch. Soundbites, clarity and precision are your friends.
Don’t memorize it word for word.
To the first point you always want to start the same, but don’t mistake this for memorizing it. You want to sound like you know what you are talking about but not sound rehearsed. Focus instead on the structure and key points you want to hit instead of every word.
The opening sets the flow of the whole pitch. It is important that you set the right tone, pace and narrative. Starting calmly and consistently, speaking naturally and pacing the amount of content is the best way to set the flow.